Masks No Longer Mandatory In Most Public Settings

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Face masks in Ontario will no longer be mandatory in schools, retail settings, gyms and most indoor spaces, as of Monday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

Settings including public transit, healthcare facilities and long-term care homes will require face masks until the end of April when the province plans to remove all restrictions.

Individual business owners may choose to still require masks.

In a release from Peterborough Public Health, Dr. Thomas Piggot recommends local residents continue wearing masks after mandates are lifted.

“We recommend wearing a mask while indoors and around others for at least a few more weeks until we better understand the context of COVID-19 transmission in our region,” said Piggott. “There are still thousands of local residents who remain at risk of serious disease if they get infected, and only 55 per cent of eligible area residents are fully vaccinated with all three doses of COVID-19 vaccine.”

Piggot notes that wearing a mask does not have to be “all or nothing.” Those that choose not to wear a mask may still choose to wear it in small indoor areas that are not well ventilated.

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